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Anchors quit on air: Courage or crazy?

Viewers of WVII in Bangor, ME saw an unusual show kicker at the end of the 6 p.m. newscast. The show’s co-anchors decided to resign on the air.

According to the Bangor Daily News, co-anchors Cindy Michaels and Tony Consiglio left the station “citing a longstanding battle with upper management over journalistic practices.”

The anchors weren’t specific about their differences with management, but Michaels, who was also the station’s news director, told the paper that she and Consiglio were afraid they wouldn’t get a chance to say goodbye to the community on the air if they had resigned behind the scenes.

Watching the video, it seems like the anchors could have done a better job of explaining the reasons for their resignations to the viewers. It also seems like the kind of step you wouldn’t want to take unless you were ready to leave the business for good.

What do you think? Is this the right way or the wrong way to handle your differences with management? Do you think they still have a future in TV?